Chote Lal Chaat Bhandar

We are tucked away at 1030, Kucha Sarif in the Sitaram Bazar area of Chandni Chowk. If you know this part of Delhi, you know how crowded and tight the lanes are. Chote Lal Chaat Bhandar is a small spot, but we’ve been here a very long time. There is always a lot of noise—rickshaws honking, people shouting, and the sound of the fryers going. We don't have air conditioning or fancy seating. Most people just stand around or find a little corner to eat. The walls are a bit old and the floor is worn down from so many feet walking over it every day. I start my day early getting the potatoes and spices ready. It’s a hot job, especially in the summer months when the sun beats down on the bazaar. We don't use any of those modern machines; we do most things by hand. Sometimes the crowd gets a bit much and it’s hard to keep up, but we just keep going. My father and his father did the same thing right here. We don't have a website or a social media manager. We just have our shop and the people who have been coming here since they were kids. It’s a dusty, loud, and busy place, but that is just Chandni Chowk for you. We just focus on the food and let the rest of the world go by outside. It's a tough way to live sometimes but it is our life.